Stretching frame for sheet material



Patented @et 2, 19278.

WILLIAMl zr. CARTER, Jn., OFYAKRON, onro. j

STBETCHING FRAME FOB. SHEET MATERIAL.y

y Application Afiledr June 28,

I This invention relates to frames for holding household curtains, quilts or the like in stretched condition. e

In such frames heretofore commonly `employed adjustmentofthe Vfran/1e for articles of different sizes has required the removal of bolts from apertures formedV in the frame members or the resetting of Cblamps, and

Y so far as I am aware such frames have not comprised means for assuring the proper .right-angle relation of adjacent frame mem' bers to each other. Another defect of frames heretofore commonly used is that the overlapping of adjacent frame members at the Corners has resulted in the Work-retaining hooks or pins l ing'so positioned as to hold their respective portions of the Work in dinerent planes,

which has prevented the Work from being held in true plane form, or from being anch- 'Ored toboth of the overlapped frame members, in the region closely adjacent the corner of the frame. Y My chief objects are V objections, to provide to avoidthese several a frame adapted for ready assembly and adjustment and disas-Y sembly, to providea self-squaring frame, to provide for the anchoring of the Work in substantially the same plane throughout the coran ner portions thereof, to provide for strength A'and durability of the structure, to provide for l rigidity of the frame in service, and j to provide more detailed advantages Which Will bemanifest. f l j 35, Fig. 1 Vis an elevation of a curtain stretcher frame embodying `my l,invention in its preferred form. j Fig. 2 is a section on Aline 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a section' on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y Fig; 4 is a perspective View of one of the corner clamping members. f

Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention here shown com-k prises a pair of opposite frame members or bars 10, 10, each of which may comprise tWo sections, l()a and 10", securedtogether in eX tension of each other by vmeansof a channelv A member 11 of sheet metal fitting upon the tvvo frame sections and permanently secured to 50.l one of them, as by the rivet 12, and detachably secured to the .otherby'means of a'fbolt v13 and Wing-nut 14:,the -section 10L being onadjacent frame members be 'mote from their pivots, and the Aframe membervis preferably a groove 23 for each pin, adapted to'receive i927. serial No. 202,079. v

adapted tobe used` as a complete frame member, Without the section 1Ob,.f01 Curtains 0,. other articles of narrow Width.

Fach of theframe members 10 1s formed With'a clamp-receiving body portion 15 f2) andV a toe portion 16' extending Vfrom'the base thereof andv provided near its outer-'edge I ywithl a roivof'Work-anchoring pins 17, 17,

so inclined With Irelation to the plane'off the' frame that al piece of sheet material mounted on the frame under tension Will remainat the,

bases of the. pins, againstthel toe portion of the frame member.A i Y The other tivo frame members vor'ba'rs, 18,

18, disposed opposite each other in the frame,

are each preferably formed With outer faces 19, .19 perpendicularto the plane vof the frame L and 'with 'clamp-engaging faces 20, 20 parallel with the plane :of the frame, may, be rectangular 1n cross-section, as shown. Each' of these frame members is provided with a. row of Work-anchoring pins 21, 21fada'p`ted to permit acorner clamp to be slid along and in contact With the clamp-engaging face 20 of the frame member Without interferencevvith thepins, and for this Vpurposeeachpin pref-- erably ispivotedat its base on a nail 22 driven into the outer face of the franiemember,

sov

so that the pin can lbe turned'about the nail to afposition 1n which it lies entirely on lthe outer face l19 of the frame member, Ventirely out of the plane of themen'ibfe'rs clamp-engaging face 20, `.and alternatively may be turned to a positionr such that it proj eetspast the said clamp-engaging face' 20, in position to have the Work mounted thereon.

formed as to bearstrongly against the'y buter face 19 of the frame memberin a portion rethesaid face'of formed Qvvith bases of the pins 17 of the frame members 10,l j so that the work vvill assume jupon the p`ins21 Va position such that it Willzbeheld inthe'same plane throughoutv its extent' and consequentlyy vmay be anchored y j j .The-pins: 21 are preferably .ofy springy metal and'so upon the` pinsfZl as 'Wellas upon theI pins 17,k thronghout the length' of its, i

margins, without distort-ion of corner portions of the work out of its general plane. I

j do not wholly limit my claims, however, to

,frame member 18, the faces 27 vide at each corner of the frame a clamp mem- Y ber'24lhavinga iframesejuaringiace` 25 adapted to receive and clamp against theouterir'ace of the adjacent Y'frame member 1'()` and,r at right angles tothe face 25' but soV oiiset therefrom as to providefor the overlapping or the 'frame meinberl() lipOl the frame membe 18 a; framelsqu'aring face 26' adapted to receive and clam V4against they inneri'ace et the ad'ai b cent frame member 18. The corner clamp member 24 1s' formed with a iiangefhaving a planeiace 27' adapted to receive the adjacent f vframe' member 1'0 and with a i'ange .have a plane face 28 adapted to receive the adjacent l l I 28 being disposed at right anglesro-'eachI ether, along the frame-s uarinc faces 25 26 but in the same plane with eachother7 so` as to support the iframe members' 10an'd '18 substantially in contact with each other in overlappedrelae tion.

For clamping lthe frameV member 10 to the frameLsquaring face 2'5 a bolt 29 provided with'a winglnut 30 'at' the outer side et the clamp member 24: visjm'ountedV in an aperture in the member 24 and is formed at its inner endl withV a laterally disposed hook portion 2,9?"a`djapted toA talfe overthe body portion 15 et the frame member' 10, the bolt 29 being adapted, upon'l'oosening of the nutBOa to be Y turned up on its own aXi's toturn thehook portion 29 away from, and thus to release, the i frame member 10;v

Similarly a bolt 31 provided witha wingnut and having a hook portion 3.1a ismonnted in the corner'clamping member 24 and adaptl ing turned toswing its hook portion 31a 'ed to engageithe frame member 1'8 to heldit against vthe frame-#squaring faceV 2Gv andrea-dilyjtoV release` the frame member 18 upon beaway 'from' thei'rame member. Y

F or mounting the frame in upright position, each of the frame members 18'is mounted inl a channel iron 32 backed against a'lioriy Zontal foot member 33 and secured thereto by a boltBi extending through the i'oot member 33?,v the channel'iron` 32'and the frame member 18 and provided with a wing-'nut 35 and the channel iron 32 is formed with a stamped anc bent ear 36 iitting against theV upper iace oi the foot member' 38' and secured in position thereon by ya screw 37, the structure being Such as to provide' a strong and rigid right angle connection of the frame member with the foot member 33.

ln the operation oi the device the work is anchored by margins upon the pins 17 and 21 andthe frame is expanded by sliding the i'ra'me members 10 and 18 in thecorner'clamping structures, the pins 21 adjacent the corner clampingmein ers being' turned down so as not te interfere therewith, and the bolts 29 and` .8.1 are then` tightened to hold the work in stretched condition. j

rlhe tighteningfetl theV bolts 29 and 31 at the iirst corne-r automatically squares thead-l jacent frame members aga-inst tliefaces 25,U 26 ofthe cla-mp member. ln disassembling the frameftheraniemembers'readily may be disconnected from cach Aother by loosening and turning-theI bolts'29 er 31,'and the frame members 18-rea-dily may be disconnected from' the toot members 83 byI removing the fname members 18"v freinv the bolts Se ane channel irons 3 f For work or" narrow width the sectionsf10b ef the traine-members 10l readily m ay' be* eliminated by removing'thebolts 18, removin'gtlie sections 191 from the adjacent corner clfa-mping members therein.

andV mounting the sections 19 rEhe pivoting of the pins 21 uponitheir nails i 22I permits those*within-the` werk-engaging reach oi' the' trame member -1'8- to be turned to work-engagingposition while these beyondl thersaid reach a-returned ente'th'e face '19l of Y' theiramemember'se als not to interfere with the sliding of the vcerner anchoring member 24 on the frame member.v f f y The structure provides ytier' convenientad- 'ustment oi the frame throuwhou-ta widef range-oi' sizes in conjunction with the advan-j tagesA that have been brought out in the de# scripti'onand in the above statement off objects.

Modifications are possible witl-'ii-n the: scope of' the. invention asf defined in the appended claimsi A 1 l 1. A stretching frame* comprising two lll) frame bars'crossed substantially' in contact with each other at a corner of the trame, a corner clamp comprising a unitary, rigid member formed with bar-contactingg-rfaces holding the-bars in fixed angular relation and hook-bolts mounted in the said member and" hooked over the bars to hold, the latter respectively against' the' saidV faces', one ofthe bars being formed on itsI inwardly-facing side with a toe portion, work-anchoring' pins mounted on the said toe portion, and worlr-v anchoring pins `Vpivotede onv the outer face of the other bar,fon axes transverse theretoLv and parallel Awith the-plane-y oi the frame," the pivotal axis of each of the/last said pins' being 'closer tothe work-facing sid'ei ofthe' bar than the lengthy oi'f the pin.

2. A stretching frame' comprising twoA frame bars crossed substantially in contact With each other at a corner of the frame, a corner clamp comprising a unitary, rigid member formed With bar-contacting faces holding the bars in fixed angular relation and hook-bolts mounted in the said member,

hooked over the bars and holding the latter respectively against the said faces.

3. A stretching frame comprising` tvvoV frame bars crossed substantially in contact with eachother at a corner of the frame, a corner clamp comprising a unitary, rigid member formed with bar-contacting faces holding the bars inV fixed anofular relation :D Y and means on the said member clamping the vbars respectively against the said faces, the

said means comprising independently operable clamping members individual to the re-V spective bars. n

4. A. stretching yframe comprising ,tWo frame bars crossed in close proximity to each other at a corner of the frame, a corner clamp y,

holding the bars in crossed relation, and a set of pins pivotally mounted on the vouter face of one of the bars on axes transverse thereto andv parallel Withvthe plane of the frame, the distance from the pivotal axis ofv each kof the pins to the nearest face of the adjacent bar being less than the length of the pin.

5. fr stretching framel as defined in claim et in Which each pin at a distance from its pivot bears against therface of the bar onv which it is pivoted and isheld in different positions of adjustment by its own resilience.

k6. A stretchingl frame comprising tWo Y frame bars crossed at acorner of the frame,

a corner clamp comprising a unitary, rigid 'member formed With bar-contacting faces holding the bars crossed in fixed yangular relation, flanges on said member for positioning the bars respectively on said faces, and

lio-oli bolts mounted on said member andturn-v able to take over the respective bars and alternatively to positions such as to permit the bars to be removed from the saidmember Without being slid lengthvvisetherefrom.

7. A frame clamp' comprising a unitary,

rigid member formed With tivo angularly disn posed faces for holding respective frame bars in fixed angular relation to each other and with bar-positioning portions which with the said face-s define tivo barreceiving spaces, the said portions having barfcontacting surfaces lyin'gina single plane parallel to the plane of the frame and said surface lying on opposite sides of said plane, and means on 

